that interfere with my quickness any. Take me in an automobile, now--I
got a racin'-car at home--and I keep my head better than most people do,
as it were. I can kind of handle myself better; I dunno why it is. My
brains seem to work better than other people's, that's all it is. I
don't mean that I got more sense, or anything like that; it's just the
way my brains work; they kind of put me at an advantage, as it were.
Well, f'rinstance, if I'd been livin' here in this town and joined in
with the crowd to get up this party, well, it would of been done a good
deal diff'rent. I won't say better, but diff'rent. That's always the
way with me if I go into anything, pretty soon I'm running the whole
shebang; I dunno why it is. The other people might try to run it their
way for a while, but pretty soon you notice 'em beginning to step out
of the way for good ole George. I dunno why it is, but that's the way it
goes. Well, if I'd been running THIS party I'd of had automobiles to go
out in, not a trolley-car where you all got to sit together--and I'd
of sent over home for my little racer and I'd of taken you out in her
myself. I wish I'd of sent for it, anyway. We could of let the rest go
out in the trolley, and you and I could of got off by ourselves: I'd
like you to see that little car. Well, anyway, I bet you'd of seen
something pretty different and a whole lot better if I'd of come over to
this town in time to get up this party for you!"

"For US," Miss Pratt corrected him, sunnily.

"Bofe strangers--party for us two--all bofe!" And she gave him one of
her looks.

Mr. Crooper flushed with emotion; he was annexed; he became serious.
"Say," he said, "that's a mighty smooth hat you got on." And he touched
the fluffy rim of it with his forefinger. His fat shoulders leaned
toward her yearningly.

"We'd cert'nly of had a lot better time sizzin' along in that little
racer I got," he said. "I'd like to had you see how I handle that little
car. Girls over home, they say they like to go out with me just to watch
the way I handle her; they say it ain't so much just the ride, but more
the way I handle that little car. I dunno why it is, but that's what
they say. That's the way I do anything I make up my mind to tackle,
though. I don't try to tackle everything--there's lots o' things I
wouldn't take enough interest in 'em, as it were--but just lemme make up
my mind once, and it's all off; I dunno why it is. There was a brakeman
on the